Obie Marth
Sir Oberith 'Obie' Marth '''is a Knight of Westmarch and member of the Grey Company. He is the oldest and most experienced member of the company. Because of this, he remains the right-hand man of Sir Ingold Thorne. Obie is also one of the few Knights in Westmarch to have directly served under the King, having squired for him. Though an honored and highly praised Knight of Westmarch, Obie has never pursued the rank of Paladin due to his lack of commitment in the Zakarum faith. In Westmarch, he is called '''The Court Knight be friend and foe alike. History Upbringing and Royal Matters Oberith was born in Kingsport during a long winter in which his mother died of sickness shortly after giving birth. He has an older sister. At the age of 9, his father, who was a soldier of Westmarch, died while defending a village that was attacked by the Hill Tribes. With no family left to turn to, The Knights of Westmarch adopted Oberith into their service, separating him from his sister. Oberith began his training as a stable boy and later a blacksmith's apprentice. Eventually, he became a squire for the Knighthood. His reputation as a squire received very positive feedback due to his keen knowledge in chivalry, talents such as sharpening blades and grooming horses, for example. His combat experience also came naturally to him, but preferred blunt and heavy objects rather than swords, such as maces and hammers. Word had soon reached King Justinian III of Oberith's prime reputation as a squire. King Justinian honored Oberith to squire for him, and did so for almost a year. Oberith found great honor in directly serving his King but eventually settled to become a soldier of Westmarch. The King saw to it that Oberith remain in the capital city as a royal guard rather than a soldier in the royal army, in which the young squire gladly accepted. In few years, Oberith participated in a campaign to flush out the Thieves Guild within the underworld of Westmarch. He began his quest in the capital where he captured one of their notorious leaders, The Cleave of King's Gate; Located just outside the tourney grounds, a determined Oberith challenged the Cleave to a duel during his capture in which the Cleave accepted and met his demise. Oberith received critical acclaim from the townsfolk for his victory over the Cleave. Oberith would later play a pivotal role in the capturing of several other key members of the Thieves Guild, crippling their crime empire for years to come. Eventually, Oberith's success earned him a Knighthood under King Justinian's personal blessing. As his reputation as a Knight grew bolder by the months that followed after the crippling campaign of the Thieves Guild, so did Oberith's uncanny ability for diplomacy and court entourage. He met his future wife Holly in the winter of 1246 A.K. as well as his brother-in-law, Sir Lucan Harper. While most Knights of Westmarch kept their reputation bound to serve, Oberith meanwhile established his worth as a potential lead, and his liege in court caught the attention of the monarchy. Many lords and noblemen within the capitol criticized Oberith's ambitions as a Knight; his rivals even took caution to his gift for political improvisation, while his allies in court took heed to his intelligence that helped him advance in terms of power and status. In time, Oberith and Holly married and had their first child, Kelsey. Their second child, Barriston, was born a year later. Appearance and Character Obie is cunning, obedient and methodical. Due to his age and life experience, Obie is calmer and more level-headed than most other Knights, preferring to use less bloody methods in his approach, though he has no problem using violence when it is needed. When in solitude, Obie enjoys smoking his pipe and writing poetry. He is married and has two children, but because of his free spirited attitude he is more loyal to his duty as a Knight. He suffers from post traumatic stress disorder due to the harsh warfare against the demonic invasion.